Nodes of Design

Alexander Christian is a globally recognized design leader with nearly 20 years of experience envisioning, shipping, and creating next-generation consumer and B2B products. He leads and motivates teams, demonstrating proven success in various environments, including global-scale tech companies and large, mid-sized, and bootstrapped startups. Passionate about building tight-knit, high-performing teams and creating cultures of inclusion and trust, Alexander is a calm and confident leader. He excels as a clear communicator and has extensive experience managing large teams, internal stakeholders, executive management, and cross-disciplinary partners at a senior level. Regularly sought after as a mentor and speaker, Alexander actively contributes to industry events and organizations in the United States and Australia. His exceptional contributions to design have been recognized by renowned award bodies such as RedDot, One Show, The Emmy Awards, and countless others. In this riveting episode of the Nodes of Design podcast, we sit down with Alexander, a luminary in the world of design. Diving deep into the intricacies of design, digital realms, and branding, Alexander unfurls a tapestry of insights and experiences. Alexander retraces his steps into the world of design. He shares personal anecdotes, invaluable lessons, and golden nuggets of advice for beginners venturing into design. Discover the confluence where digital design weds branding. Understand why this union is the lifeblood of today's digital ecosystem. Delve into the crucial considerations one must remember to ensure digital designs resonate with a brand's ethos. The power of storytelling in digital design and branding is monumental. How does one gauge the success of their design strategies in fortifying brand awareness and fostering customer loyalty? Alexander has some tried-and-tested strategies to share. Prepare to be enlightened, inspired, and equipped with knowledge that could redefine your design strategies. Whether you're a beginner, a professional, or someone curious about design and branding, this episode with Alexander is a must-listen. Book Recommendation by Alexander Start with Why — Simon Sinek Radical candor — Kim Scott Alan Watts — The Wisdom of Insecurity Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favourite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and join the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.

Rachel Kobetz, a distinguished Chief Design executive, discusses the transition to intelligent interfaces and the future of UI design. She explores the integration of AI, personalized interactions, and multimodal interfaces. The podcast also explores the evolution of design roles, successful projects, and the impact of intelligent interfaces. Finally, Rachel discusses advising companies on design capabilities and using consumer experiences as a competitive advantage.

As we mark the remarkable journey of 'Nodes of Design' with our 100th episode, we're turning the spotlight onto you – our treasured listeners. This isn't just a milestone for us but a collective celebration of the stories, insights, and voices that have woven the fabric of this podcast. Dive into this special edition as we traverse memory lanes, explore standout moments, and anticipate the future of design. It's a heartfelt thank you, a toast to shared experiences, and a glimpse into the myriad perspectives that have shaped and enriched Nodes of Design. Join us in celebrating a centennial of design dialogues!

Welcome to this extraordinary episode of Nodes of Design. Today, we have the rare privilege of hosting the venerable Don Norman, a luminary in the design world whose contributions have paved the way for countless others. A visionary, an author, a researcher, an educator, a cognitive scientist and a champion of human-centred design. Don Norman is a legend in UX design. Since the 1960s, he has been at the forefront of human-computer interaction and human-centred design; His group coined the term "User Experience" while working as vice president of the Advanced Technology Group at Apple in the 1980s. Don's legendary work has transformed the fields of cognitive science and usability engineering; he has a long legacy in academia, for example, at the University of California, San Diego, where he is a professor and head of the UCSD Design Lab. He co-founded the Nielsen Norman Group, a leading consultancy on User Experience. He is renowned globally for his book, 'The Design of Everyday Things', which continues to influence and inspire designers worldwide to focus on users in their work. Throughout his extensive career, Don has always emphasized the importance of design thinking and the role of design in improving the human experience. His theories and methods have defined and revolutionized the user-centred design approach.  Don discusses his newest book, 'Design for a Better World'. This book explores design's critical role in addressing some of the world's most pressing issues, from climate change and social inequality to global poverty. We'll be delving into how designers can contribute to solving these grand challenges and how cross-collaboration with scientists, policymakers, and politicians can lead to better products and services. We'll also discuss the future of design in an age where AI is increasingly becoming a co-pilot in our design process. Lastly, for all our budding designers out there, Don will be sharing advice on how to foster an environmentally conscious design mindset, a skill that is increasingly important in our changing world. This episode is a deep dive into the mind of one of the most influential figures in design, brimming with wisdom and insight. It's a must-listen for anyone passionate about design and those who wish to understand how design can contribute to a better world. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favourite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and join the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.

Deepak Menon is Vice President at Microsoft India, leading the Product Experience, Design and Research teams across products in the Experience & Devices (E+D) and Security, Compliance, Identity and Compliance (SCIM) divisions at Microsoft India. They include products like Windows, Teams, Office, Edge, Search, Bing, OneDrive, SharePoint, Outlook, and Loop. Deepak’s team helped define the enquiry around ‘What is productivity for billions of mobile-only users’, which has led to product innovations like Kaizala and Microsoft Office – mobile products that help businesses connect with their value chain to collaborate and complete consumer and business workflows. Deepak was also responsible for designing and defining the Ribbon interface for Microsoft Office. He was also the driver for the Microsoft Centre for Information work, which reimagined the future of productivity and won the IDSA gold reward in 2003. Deepak has worked at Google leading User Experience teams in India and Seattle. He was also the Chief Product and Customer officer at Myntra, leading teams across multiple functions. Deepak completed his B.Arch. from REC. Trichy, his M.Arch. on a fellowship and M.F.A. from The Ohio State University. He loves sports and lives in Hyderabad with his wife, Ashwini, two sons, Adhvai & Prathyai and his dog Dash. Join us as we delve into the pivotal role of design in driving innovation within organizations. Deepak shares a compelling project Kaizala, where design proved crucial in fostering innovation and illuminated the powerful impact of design thinking on transformative outcomes. In this episode, we explore the indispensable roles of diversity and empathy in the design process when aiming for innovation. Deepak unravels how embracing diverse perspectives and empathetic approaches unlocks the potential for groundbreaking solutions and user-centric experiences. Discover the art of balancing practicality and creativity in the quest for innovative design. Learn how to cultivate a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment where design seamlessly integrates with engineering, marketing, and product management functions. We unveiled effective strategies for nurturing innovation through harmonious cross-functional collaboration. Get insights on approaching emerging technologies and trends in design innovation. Deepak gives invaluable tips on staying ahead of the curve, leveraging cutting-edge advancements, and navigating the ever-evolving landscape of emerging technologies to drive innovative design solutions. Embark on a journey of technological promise as our guest unveils their excitement for emerging technologies and trends driving innovation in design. Discover the transformative potential of groundbreaking advancements and explore the untapped possibilities that lie ahead. Please tune in to our podcast, Designing for Innovation: Unleashing Creative Brilliance, as we engage in thought-provoking conversations with Deepak Menon, uncovering the transformative power of design in driving innovation. Book Recommendation by Deepak Menon Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive, and Others Die - Chip Heath Guns, Germs And Steel - Jared Diamond  Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger - Peter Bevelin Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favourite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and join the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.

Christopher Reardon, a product visionary with a strong focus on AI, Chris has played a pivotal role in shaping the industry, particularly as the Head of Design for Meta's Responsible AI organization, where he established industry standards that have impacted over 3.6 billion monthly users. His expertise in AI has enabled him to drive innovation and create cutting-edge solutions in various sectors. Before joining Meta, Chris led product design at a stealth startup, where he spearheaded the development of natural language agents capable of multimodal communication and automated robotic processes for renowned US banks, automotive, insurance, and healthcare companies. His expertise in AI has enabled him to drive innovation and create cutting-edge solutions in various sectors. While at Ogilvy, Chris significantly contributed to defining the IBM Watson brand and platform and successfully launching AI into the global mainstream. His strategic insights and creative talent have been instrumental in the success of some of the world's most disruptive brands, including Meta, AOL, Apple, Bank of America, Chase, Sony, and IBM. With a rich background in AI, Chris Reardon brings a unique blend of technical expertise and zero-to-one product vision, consistently delivering groundbreaking solutions that have shaped the AI landscape and transformed industries worldwide. Join us in this captivating podcast series as we explore the intricacies of designing for AI and the unique challenges it presents compared to traditional design approaches. We delve into the key considerations designers should consider when working with AI-powered systems, discussing specific design principles and methodologies to enhance their projects. One of the central themes we explore is the delicate balance between creating human-centred designs and harnessing the capabilities of AI. As AI becomes more prevalent in our lives, designers must navigate the fine line between tailoring experiences to human needs and understanding the limitations of AI systems. We discuss practical strategies and approaches to strike this balance effectively. We delve into the collaborative nature of designing AI-powered products, emphasizing the importance of cross-functional teamwork. We uncover practical ways to ensure that design and development processes align harmoniously to create seamless AI-powered products. Bias in AI is a crucial topic we address head-on. We explore how AI algorithms and models can be trained on biased datasets, leading to subjective outcomes. Our discussions revolve around proactive measures designers can take to address and mitigate bias in AI design actively. We highlight real-world examples and best practices to empower designers to champion fairness, ethics, and inclusivity in AI-powered systems. Lastly, we peer into the future of designing for AI, examining the evolving landscape and emerging trends. Chris offers valuable insights into the advancements designers should be prepared for, such as explainable AI, interpretability, and the rise of ethical frameworks. Chris unravels the potential paths that designing for AI may take and how designers can adapt and thrive in this ever-changing field. Chris Medium blog - https://medium.com/@chris.reardon.ux || Chris website - www.c-squared.ai Boook Recommendation by Christopher Reardon The Most Good You Can Do - Peter Singer (and Practical Ethics) Start with Why - Simon Sinek The Stoic Challenge - William B. Irvine Podcasts Recommendation by Christopher Reardon Dare to lead - Brene Brown, hosting Adam Grant & Simon Sinek DeepMind podcast - Hannah Fry (and Demis Hassabis) Hidden Brain podcast - Shankar Vedantam Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favourite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more.

Guthrie Dolin is a seasoned design executive and advisor to early-stage companies. Guthrie has over two decades of experience building cross-functional teams and fostering cultures of collaboration and creative excellence. Guthrie has spent his career working with forward-looking companies developing disruptive offerings. Including; defining work for Tesla, Nest and Fitbit, as well as innovative initiatives for the likes of Microsoft, Nike, Apple and Sony. He founded Rise & Co., a design and venture consultancy focused on category-defining startups. Guthrie is currently Global Design Director at Ford Model E — leading Design DNA across all Digital Products. Guthrie also lectures at the Institute of Design at Stanford (the d.school) on branding and design innovation for entrepreneurs. In this episode, we delve into the fascinating world of automotive UX design and explore key considerations, trends, and the future of this field. We start by examining the crucial factors designers must consider when creating user experiences for automobiles. Next, we explore the impact of the shift towards electric and autonomous vehicles on automotive UX design. We discuss how these technologies have revolutionised how users interact with cars, leading to new design challenges and opportunities. Our exploration continues as we take a deep dive into the process of designing a new automotive UX experience. We explore the research methodologies, user testing, and design principles that enable designers to create experiences that align with a brand's history, vision, and customer expectations. Data plays a crucial role in automotive UX design, and we explore its significance in this episode. We discuss how data-driven insights can inform decision-making processes, enhance user experiences, and contribute to the overall evolution of automotive design. Finally, we peer into the future and discuss the exciting trends and innovations shaping automotive UX in the coming years. From advancements in augmented reality and voice control to personalised experiences and seamless integration with smart devices, we explore the possibilities that lie ahead. Join us as we unravel the future of automotive UX design in this thought-provoking episode. Book Recommendation by Guthrie Dolin Cars: Freedom, Style, Sex, Power, Motion, Colour, Everything  The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design The Creative Act: A Way of Being Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favourite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and join the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.

Anab Jain is a filmmaker, designer and futurist. She co-founded Superflux, a pioneering speculative design and experiential futures company in London, UK, working for clients and commissioners such as V&A, Google, Red Cross, UNDP, IKEA, Deepmind and many more. Anab has delivered prolific talks at TED, Skoll, NEXT, House of Lords and House of Commons UK, and shown work at MoMA New York, V&A London, National Museum of China and Museum of the Future Dubai. Profiles on Anab and Superflux can be found in Wall Street Journal, Business Insider and Financial Times.  Anab and Jon, co-founders of Superflux, have recently been awarded Royal Designers for Industry in speculative design, UK’s highest accolade for design. Anab also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Arts London for her contributions to the field.  Anab serves as a Professor for Design Investigations at the University of Applied Arts, Vienna, for the last six years. She hopes to instil a culture of radical enquiry in her students so they can become active designers-translators-catalysts for a complex and uncertain world.  In this episode, Anab shared great insights on Design for futures; we started the episode by defining design for the futures and what is the design process when working on a project focused on the future. Then we discussed navigating that uncertainty in work and how designers can balance the need for innovation and creativity with practicality and functionality in their designs. Later, we discussed why ethical considerations are critical when designing for the future and how do designers ensure their work is inclusive and representative of different perspectives and experiences. Book Recommendation by Anab Jain RDI Meeting the Universe Halfway: Quantum Physics and the Entanglement of Matter and Meaning - Karen Barad Correspondences - Tim Ingold Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favourite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and join the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.

Amit Dangwal is a Design Director at Microsoft India Development Center, where he leads the Search and AI design studio. He has been with Microsoft for 16 years, with 20 years of experience designing user-centric products and solutions. Amit has led the design team for products like Microsoft Office, SharePoint, CRM and Lync. He holds a Master of Design degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay and a B.Arch degree from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. He is passionate about creating engaging and delightful user experiences across different platforms and devices. In this episode, Amit shared great insights on How to grow as a designer in an organisation. We started by discussing the core skills a designer needs to possess to succeed in an organisation and how designers can show their value to the organisation and impact business outcomes. Later, we spoke about what role collaboration plays in the growth and development of a designer within an organisation. How can a designer take on leadership roles within the organisation, and what sort of preparation or guidance is required? In the end, we concluded the show with Amit's take on how designers can use feedback and constructive criticism to grow and improve their work and how does the organisation measure the success of a designer's work? Book Recommendation by Amit Dangwal Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss⁠ and ⁠Tahl Raz Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favourite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more. If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and join the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge. This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.

Matthew Holloway ⁠is an accomplished design leader with a career spanning 25 years; Matthew has co-founded six start-ups after holding leadership and executive roles at Apple, WebMD, Shutterfly, and SAP, where he shifted their strategic direction with his team's innovations, delivering increased customer value and market share.  Collaborating across organizations, Matthew helps executive teams fully engage design as a critical differentiator for their businesses while assisting design leaders in making the shift from creative thinkers to business executives. Many designers he has managed and mentored have moved on to executive roles at companies such as SAP, GE, Oracle, Google, Meta, Amazon, Apple, JPMorgan Chase, Nike, etc. Matthew also advises early-stage start-ups on effectively balancing their technology, design, and marketing investments to maximize their roadmap's impact.    In this episode, Matthew shared great insights on Designing at scale and helped us understand the term scale in terms of the product and the organization itself; we discussed some of the biggest challenges faced when designing at scale. How to overcome them and speak on balancing creativity and innovation with the need to scale quickly when designing for a large organization, and how to approach user research and testing when designing at scale? What role does collaboration play in creating at scale? How do you encourage cross-functional collaboration and ensure everyone is aligned on the design vision? We then concluded the show with Mathews's tips on measuring the success of a large-scale design project and what metrics to use.   Book Recommendation by Matthew Holloway Dawn of Everything, by David Graeber and David Wengrow  Crucial Conversations, by Grenny, Patterson, and McMillan,  Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni Stolen Focus, by Johann Hari  Design for the Real World, by Victor Papanek  Orbiting the Giant Hairball, by Gordon McKenzie   Thank you for listening to this episode of Nodes of Design. We hope you enjoy the Nodes of Design Podcast on your favourite podcast platforms- Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and many more.   If this episode helped you understand and learn something new, please share and join the knowledge-sharing community #Spreadknowledge.   This podcast aims to make design education accessible to all. Nodes of Design is a non-profit and self-sponsored initiative by Tejj.